Professionally speaking…
I was fortunate enough to have bought a 486 PC around 1993. At that time, the only way that I had to access the internet was via a dial-up connection to a bank of Linux servers that provided shell access. In order to navigate this “strange new world”, I bought a copy of SAMS Publishing’s Teach Yourself UNIX in 24 Hours – and in so doing, took the first steps in what became a career in I.T.
I began this career as a tech-support professional – I was one of the first people in the country trained on the (then-new) Windows 95. I used that knowledge to write (what I believe was) the first published article on troubleshooting that platform – the article was called ‘Troubleshooting Windows 95: What to do before calling Tech Support‘ which was published in the February 1996 edition of Computer Bits magazine (now sadly defunct).
Along the way, I’ve worked primarily in heterogeneous environments, with Windows & UNIX/Linux servers filling complementary roles. In addition to Windows, I’ve gained proficiency with AIX and Solaris UNIX variants, along with a bit of BSD and HP/UX. I have earned Novell, Microsoft, VMware & Security+ certifications and supported a wide variety of environments including:
- Secured datacenters (IBM, Fortrust & the One Wilshire Building in Los Angeles) supporting over 600 servers;
- A central utility-management company HQ with small, widely-distributed satellite offices;
- A global hospitality/resort firm;
- Medical/Dental practices;
- and a country club.
I have solved problems in locations as varied as North America, Europe, Puerto Rico, & Singapore. Professional travel has taken me from NYC to Los Angeles, as well as smaller towns such as El Paso, TX, Albuquerque NM – and even a trip to Johannesburg, South Africa.
For the last three years or so, I have been working as a Systems Administrator focused primarily on Linux, although with some Solaris servers thrown into the mix for good measure. Most recently, that has included brief exposures to some interesting technologies like Docker and Hadoop.
Off-work
I enjoy reading, woodworking, high-performance American cars, & the occasional shot of adrenaline – I love whitewater rafting (Class-III or better please!) and I’ve taken a turn on the SkyCoaster at the Royal Gorge which -so far!- is one of the most-amazing things I’ve done. Image Skydiving?? Yep, that’s on the bucket list!!
I really enjoy learning. My home lab contains VMware ESXi, Windows & Linux systems, two types of firewalls, and a Raspberry Pi, which I use to indulge my curiosity & interest in Information Security. To that end, I am also a member of the ‘Denver OWASP’ and ‘Denver/Boulder CyberSecurity’ MeetUp groups.